Air ambulance service from Maldives to Sri Lanka will be inaugurated in March, Sri Lanka's Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said on Tuesday.
The announcement was made in a social media post following a meeting with Maldives Transport Minister Mohamed Ameen in Colombo.
The service would enable Maldivians to travel to Sri Lanka for urgent medical treatment in cases of accidents, illnesses and other health emergencies.
"We have specifically agreed upon creating a framework for immediate approval process between Maldives and Sri Lanka on urgent requirements, specifically on med-evac flights," Ameen posted on X.
According to Siripala, the Maldivian government has decided to direct patients to Sri Lankan hospitals in the future because of the quality of emergency treatment in Sri Lanka.
Previously, Maldivians were transported to India for emergency medical care.
Principal Secretary to the President on Public Policy Abdulla Nazim earlier said the Health Ministry proposed introducing the air ambulance service and securing the required resources.
"The Ministry of Health together with Air Maldives [Maldivian] will start [operating] two air ambulances on the first day of March as I said before," he said.
Introducing air ambulances to the Maldives was a pledge of President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu.
On January 13, Muizzu said the government is working to convert two Maldivian Airlines Dash 8 aircraft into air ambulances.
"In addition to coming to Male' in a short period from the northernmost or southernmost [atoll], even if [a patient] has to be suddenly taken abroad even up to Thailand, they will go on that Dash 8," he said.
